Hope Forfeits MIAA Women's Swimming Championship

The Michigan Intercollegiate Athletic Association (MIAA) was recently notified by Hope College of the use of an ineligible athlete in its swimming program during the past season.

Hope College, in a self-report to the National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA) and the MIAA, reported that an error occurred in interpreting the academic record of a transfer student and her subsequent eligibility to compete. Hope College officials said the error was discovered after the season concluded.

Based on information provided to the MIAA, the results of the 2002 MIAA women's swimming championships are being changed to remove the ineligible swimmer from the events in which she competed and then moving other competitors up in the standings of those events, according to Commissioner Sheila Wallace Kovalchik.

As a result, Calvin College is declared the 2002 MIAA women's swimming champion. Hope College will finish in second place based on the new championship meet point totals (Calvin 520, Hope 444). While the point totals of other teams have changed, the order of finish has not with Kalamazoo 3rd (282 points), Albion 4th (265), Saint Mary's 5th 225, Alma 6th (202) and Olivet 7th (73).

We deeply regret that an unintentional error by college personnel in the interpretation of a transfer student's academic record resulted in the participation of an ineligible swimmer.

We apologize to our fellow MIAA member colleges for creating this situation.

On behalf of the Hope College administration, we also apologize to coach John Patnott, the ineligible swimmer and the members of the team who worked so diligently to win a championship that now must be forfeited.

We have instituted additional steps in our process for reviewing transcripts that should prevent this from happening in the future.